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THE DIVISION LINE 


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REPORT 



COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED BY THE LEGISLATURES OF MARYLAND 
AND YIR(;iNIA TO ' 

RUN AND MARK 

THE DIVISION LINE 



MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA, 



EASTERN SHORE OF CHESAPEAKE BAY 



PRINTED BY AITTIIORITY. 



ANNAPOLIS: 

WM. THOMPSON of R., Printer. 
1868. 



R E F O R T. 



To THE Honorable, the 

General Assembly of Maryland : 

The undersigned, appointed a Joint Committee from the 
two Houses of the last General Assembly, (House pro- 
ceedings, 1867, pp. 1072 and 1104,) to meet a similar 
committee appointed by the Legislature of Virginia in 
February, 1867, " to adjust and mark the Eastern Shore 
boundary between the two States, the results of their 
work to be submitted to the Legislatures of the said 
States for approval or rejection," beg leave to report that, 
in pursuance of previous arrangement, the Commissioners 
of Virginia and Maryland met at Newtown, in Worcester 
county, Maryland, on Monday, the 9th of September, 
1867. There were present Dr. John W. Field, Colonel 
Thomas Hall Kellam, and Samuel W. Powell, Esq., on the 
part of Virginia ; and Isaac D. Jones, William J. Aydelott, 
and Levin L. Waters, on the part of Maryland. Mr. 
Jones was appointed Chairman, and Dr. Field, Secretary 
of the Joint Commission. Some general conversation 
ensued in reference to the boundary line between the two 
States on the Eastern Shore which the CommissionerB 



were appointed " to adjust and mark." It seemed to be 
conceded on both sides, in general terms, that the line 
should be so adjusted as to leave each State in the 
possession of the territorial rights which each had hereto- 
fore actually held and enjoyed. The Chairman was 
authorized to employ a competent civil engineer to execute 
the work under the direction of the Commissioners, and it 
was .agreed that the portion of the line between the Poco- 
moke river and the Atlantic ocean should be first run. Mr. 
Jones engaged the services of Mr. John de la Camp, of the 
corps of United States Civil Engineers, who had surveyed 
and run the line in 1858, under a former joint boundary 
commission. On the 6th of November, 1867, pursuant 
to agreement, the Commissioners of the two States met at 
Horntown, Virginia, near the traditional line of Calvert 
and Scarborough. Mr. Aydelott was chosen by the Mary- 
land Commissioners, and Messrs. Field and Kellam, on 
the part of Virginia, to make the necessary arrangements, 
employing assistants, &c., and accompany the engineer on 
the survey. They entered upon the work on the 8th of 
November, 1867, and were engaged fifteen days in the 
survey between the Pocomoke river and the Atlantic 
ocean. 

The Boundary Commissioners of the two States met at 
Crisfield, the terminus of the Eastern Shore Rail Road, 
on the Annamessix River, on Monday, December the 2d, 
1867, pursuant to agreement. Present, on the part of 
Virginia, Dr. John W. Field and Colonel Kellam ; and 
on the part of Maryland, Messrs. Jones, Waters, and 
Ayfielott. . , 

Dr. Fields, Colonel Kellam, and Mr. Aydelott reported 
their' proceedings as sub-committee accompanying Mr. 
John de la Camp in surveying and marking the tradi- 
tionary Calvert and Scarborough line between Virginia 



and Maryland, from the east bank of the Pocomoke River 
to the Atlantic Ocean, which proceedings were approved 
as satisfactory. 

After discussion upon the residue of the dividing line, 
it was agreed to procure a vessel, and to proceed, on the 
next day, to examine the prominent points involved in 
the further prosecution of their work. Accordingly, on 
Tuesday morning, December 3d, 1867, the Commissioners 
of the two States procured a sloop and proceeded to Cedar 
Straits, which are a shallow channel dividing the south- 
ern terminus of Watkins' Point from Great Fox Island. 
Thence they went to Shank's Hammock, the southern end 
of Smith's Island ; and thence to Horse Hammock, on the 
eastern side of Smith's Island, where they remained all 
night. Here Mr. de la Camp took observations of the 
bearings of Smith's Point Light Boat, at the mouth of the 
Potomac Piver, and of the two Lighthouses recently 
established, one on Jean's Island bar, in Tangier Sound, 
and the other in Annamessix Piver. On the morning of 
Wednesday, December 4th, 1867, Mr. de la Camp sur- 
veyed Horse Hammock, and took the bearing of Smith's 
Point Lighthouse. They then embarked upon the sloop, 
and proceeded across Tangier Sound to Jean's Island, 
where they remained several hours, to enable Mr, de la 
Camp to survey and locate the Jean's Island beach, &c. 
Afterwards they proceeded to Crisfield, where Mr. de la 
Camp made additional surveys. 

After the arrival of the Commissioners at Crisfield, and 
a full conference upon the boundary line in question, the 
Maryland Commissioners informed the Virginia Commis- 
sioners that the Act of the General Assembly of Maryland 
of 1860, chapter 385, declared " that the true divisional 
line across the Chesapeake Bay is a straight line from 
Smith's Point, at the mouth of the Potomac, to the 



6 

southernmost angle of the body of land defined by the 
Commissioners of 1668 as Watkins' Point," which angle 
is at Cedar Straits ; that accordingly, on behalf of 
Maryland, they proposed the following boundary line, 
viz : " From Smith's Point, at the mouth of the Potomac 
River, by the shortest line to the southernmost angle of 
Watkins' Point, at Cedar Straits ; thence northeast to the 
channel of Pocomoke Bay or River ; thence by and with 
the said channel up the said bay and river to a point in 
said channel opposite to the point on the east bank or 
shore of said river, ascertained by Mr. de la Camp as the 
beginning on said shore of the traditional Calvert and 
Scarborough line ran in 1668 ; thence by and with said 
traditional line, as surveyed and laid down by Mr. de la 
Camp, to the Atlantic Ocean." The Maryland Commis- 
sioners further informed the Virginia Commissioners that 
in view of the said Act of the Maryland Assembly, the 
line proposed, as a whole, was the only line to which they 
considered themselves authorized to agree ; and in view of 
all the circumstances it was, in their judgment, the most 
equitable and practicable line which could be agreed upon. 

To this proposition, the Virginia Commissioners replied 
as follows: "That they must decline to accept the 
proposed line, because the line of division across the 
Chesapeake Bay, described in the King's charter to Lord 
Baltimore, was to be a line drawn from a point near the 
mouth of the Potomac, to Watkins' Point; that the 
Commissioners, Scarborough and Calvert, appointed by 
the States of Virginia and Maryland, respectively, to 
survey and establish the divisional line between the two 
States, on the Eastern Shore, in June, 1668, agreed upon 
the point which has been recently ascertained to have been 
at or near the position at present occupied by the Light- 
house recently erected on the bar extending from the point 
of Jean's Island, at Watkins' Point, mentioned in Lord 



Baltimore's charter ; that Colonel McDonald and Colonel 
Lee, Commissioners of Virginia and Maryland, respec- 
tively, appointed to run out and mark the said divisional 
line, agreed that Watkins' Point extended originally, or 
in 1668, near the said Lighthouse, at the mouth of Little 
Annamessix River, or on the bar extending out from the 
point of Jean's Island; that Virginia has ever claimed 
that the divisional line across Chesapeake Bay was a 
straight line drawn from Smith's Point to Watkins' Point, 
as located in 1668, as aforesaid ; that there are lands on 
Smith's Island which have always been considered as 
belonging to Virginia, whereas the line proposed by the 
Maryland Commissioners would include no part of Smith's 
Island in Virginia ; and, finally, that the joint resolutions 
of the Virginia Legislature appointing the present Com- 
missioners to adjust the line in question, assume that the 
line of division between the two States across the 
Chesapeake Bay, proceeds from Smith's Point, runs across 
Smith's Island to Watkins' Point, as ascertained by 
Lieutenant Mickler, civil engineer, acting under the 
direction of Commissioners McDonald and Lee, and that 
the present Commissioners hold themselves bound by the 
terms of the authority conferred upon them." The 
Virginia Commissioners further claimed the entire 
Pocomoke Sound and River up to the northern shore of 
that Sound and River, while admitting that they did not 
propose to claim any portion of the mainland which had 
been settled and always heretofore held by Maryland. 
To this the Maryland Commissioners replied, that the 
water rights always held and enjoyed by the dwellers on 
the land in question, and by the citizens of Maryland, 
were indispensable, and that if Maryland was entitled to 
the land on the north shore of the Sound and River, and 



8 

Virginia entitled to that on tlie south shore, each State 
owned, by law, to the centre of the stream. 

Being unable to agree upon a divisional line, the Com- 
missioners separated, leaving the controversy precisely as 
they found it. But our labor has not been lost. Much 
valuable information has been gained. The investigations 
incident to the discharge of our duty in this regard have 
led us to a much clearer view of the whole subject than we 
had at the commencement of our labors. It is apparent 
that the legislative action of the two States, so far as it is 
attempted to assert or set forth, the boundary line in 
question, has been ill-advised, injudicious, and inconsistent. 
Maryland, by the Act of 1860, chapter 385, declares 
" that the line established by the agreement of the Com- 
missioners authorized in the year 1668, to fix the bounds 
of Virginia and Maryland, is hereby declared to be the 
true line of boundary between the two States on the 
eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay ; and that the true 
divisional line across Chesapeake Bay is a straight line 
from Smith's Point, at the mouth of the Potomac, to the 
southernmost angle of the body of land defined by the 
aforesaid Commissioners as Watkins' Point." Now, the 
Commissioners Calvert and Scarborough, in 1668, "after 
a full and perfect view taken of the point of land made by 
the north side of Pocomoke Bay and south side of Anna- 
messix Bay, concluded the same to be Watkins' Point, 
from which said point, so-called, we have run an east line 
agreeable with the extremest part of the ivesternmost 
angle of said Watkins' Point over Pocomoke River," (fee. 
About ten years ago Lieutenant Michler, surveyor, under 
the Commissioners of Maryland and Virginia, by revers- 
ing the traditional line of Calvert and Scarborough, and 
prolonging it across Somerset county and into Tangier 



9 

Sound, till it intersected a right line drawn from Smith's 
Point over the southern part of Smith's Island, found the 
place of intersection to be about where the Light Boat 
was then anchored, a mile or more from the shore, "which 
point of intersection," says Lieutenant Michler, "must be 
very nearly the position of the initial point, the western- 
most angle of Watkins' Point, from which the old 
Scarborough line was originally run." The Maryland Act 
of 1860 declares this to be the true boundary line, that is, 
beginning at the vjesternmost angle ; the closing line of 
the Maryland charter is "the shortest line" from Cin- 
quack, near the mouth of Potomac River, to the place of 
beginning ; while the Maryland Act declares the true 
divisional line across the Chesapeake Bay to be a straight 
line from Smith's Point to the southernmost angle of 
Watkins' Point — that southernmost angle being four or 
five miles south of the said westernmost angle or place of 
beginning, as ascertained by the said "intersection." So 
ended the legislation of Maryland, which commenced by 
the Act of 1852, chapter 60, for a Joint Commission for 
' ' retracing and marking the said boundary line ; ' ' while 
Virginia, after joining in the Commission, upon receiving 
the joint report from the Commissioners of part execution 
of the work, passed a resolution for the payment of her 
part of the expense of erecting suitable monuments along 
the present divisional line between Worcester county, 
Maryland, and Accomac county, Virginia, and along the 
prolongation of this line westwardly over Somerset county 
to the bay. And this, although Lieutenant Michler had 
reported that " no boundary line marks of any kind were 
found west of the Pocomoke, and the inhabitants pro- 
fessed to be in ignorance of the existence of any," and no 
record or tradition of any such line was found or can be 
found. On the contrary, the Maryland Land Office 
records show, that, beginning in 1662, the lands on the 
2 



10 

south side of the prolongation westward! y of the line of 
1668 were granted by Maryland in 1669 and afterwards; 
and it is well known that from 1668 down to the passage 
of the Virginia resolution aforesaid, Virginia never set up 
any claim to any land on the west side of Pocomoke Bay. 

There are certain other historical facts which throw 
light upon this subject : Lord Baltimore's charter was 
granted June 20th, 1632 ; opposition to the grant was 
immediately manifested by the Virginia settlers. Clay- 
borne and his associates claimed the Isle of Kent, and 
the right, under license from the Crown, to trade with the 
Indians within the limits of the Maryland charter. His 
petition to the King was referred to the Lords Commis- 
sioners of the Council, who, in April, 1638, decided 
" that the lands in question absolutely belonged to Lord 
Baltimore, and that no plantation or trade with the 
Indians ought to be allowed within the limits of his 
patent without his permission." In virtue of this deci- 
sion, and probably by order of the King, the Governor of 
Virginia, by proclamation, 4th of October, 1638, pro- 
hibited " all persons within Virginia to use any trade, 
&c., with any of the Indians inhabiting within the 
province of Maryland, viz. : northward from the river 
Wiconowe, commonly known by the name of Oncancock, 
on the eastern side of the grand bay of Chesapeake, and 
northward from the river Chinguack, called Great 
Wicomico, on the western side of the bay, without license 
from the Lord Baltimore," &c. Bozman's Maryland, 2 
vol., p. 73, in a note, says : " From these expressions in 
this proclamation, it may be inferred that the 38th degree 
of latitude was then deemed to cross the eastern shore of 
Virginia as low down in Accomack county as Onancock 



11 

Creek, or at least that the southern limits of Maryland 
extended that far south." Intelligent Virginians, and the 
Virginia authorities of that time, could not have been 
ignorant of the extent of Lord Baltimore's claim. The 
Chairman acknowledges his obligations to Colonel Brantz 
Mayer, of Baltimore, President of the Maryland Historical 
Society, for a copy of a most rare and important document. 
It is entitled, "A relation of Maryland, reprinted from 
the London edition of 1635, with a prefatory note and 
appendix, by Francis L. Hawks, D. D., LL.D ; New 
York, JosejDh Sabin, 1865." This pamphlet, evidently 
prepared and pubhshed by direction and under the 
supervision of Lord Baltimore, to encourage immigration 
into his colony, contains a copy of his charter in English, 
and a map with a dotted boundary line along the southern 
shore of the Potomac to its mouth, and down the bay 
shore to the place called Cinquack, several miles below 
the mouth of the Potomac, and thence across the bay to 
the southernmost extremity of the point formed by the 
Wighco (Pocomoke) and the Sound, now known as Tan- 
gier Sound ; thence east to the ocean. This shows clearly 
that the point called in the charter Watkins' Point, and 
the beginning boundary and last call of the grant, was 
not " the point of land made by north side of Pocomoke 
Bay and south side of Annamessix Bay," as concluded 
by Calvert and Scarborough, (an extent of territory from 
eight to ten miles from east to west on the north, and 
extending south about the same distance to a point at 
Cedar Straits,) but was really the point formed by 
Pocomoke Bay and Tangier Sound, at Cedar Straits. 
That this was, in 1634 and 1635, (Colonel Mayer states 
the first edition was published in 1634,) the well known 
claim of Lord Baltimore, must have been evident to every 



12 

one in England and Virginia who saw his map and 
pamphlet. It was probably known to the Lords Commis- 
sioners when their decision was made on Clayborne's 
petition in 1638, and also to Governor Harvey, of 
Virginia, at the date of his proclamation in October, 
1638, especially as the limits of trade set forth in the 
proclamation seem to be nearly identical with those of 
Lord Baltimore's map. 

Colonel McDonald was sent by Virginia to England in 
1860 to procure documentary evidence of boundaries 
between Virginia and Maryland, &c., and in 1861 re- 
turned with " nine volumes of manuscript and one book 
of rare and valuable maps." These volumes and maps 
were among the "archives of Virginia when Richmond was 
captured by the United States army in 1865, as stated by 
the Virginia Commissioners ; who further stated that all 
were carried off during the disorder which for some time 
prevailed subsequent to the capture ; that since then 
nothing has been found but the lids of the book from 
which the maps were torn. This is greatly to be regretted 
on every account, especially as Colonel McDonald, in his 
report to Governor Letcher, and published by the Virginia 
Legislature in March, 1861, confirms the authenticity of 
the map and pamphlet of 1635 thus: "I also obtained 
from the British Museum a manuscript copy of an old 
printed pamphlet, entitled ' A Relation of Maryland, 
together with a map of the country, the conditions of 
plantation, and his Majesty's charter to Lord Baltimore, 
translated into English,' which appears from its title page 
to have been printed in London in the year 1635, and by 
the contents to have been written by an inhabitant of 
Maryland. This manuscript will be found bound up in 
volume 9, and commences at page 206 of that volume. A 



13 

fac simile of the map in said pamphlet will be found in 
the book of maps, and numbered 4." Colonel McDonald 
complains that " the pretended translation into English is 
not at all licensed by the Latin text," etc. ; and but for 
the mistranslation, no reasonable doubt would ever have 
existed that the whole Potomac River was wholly without 
the limits of Maryland and within the bounds of Vir- 
ginia." Colonel McDonald was not ignorant of the book 
entitled " The Travels, t&c, of Captain John Smith, &c., 
beginning in 1593 and continued to 1629," republished at 
Richmond in 1819 from the London edition of 1629. If 
he had closely inspected the map of the Chesapeake Bay 
made by Smith, (and as stated by Colonel McDonald in 
his said report, originally " pubhshed in 1612,") he would 
have found that a "certain place called Cinquack," men- 
tioned in Lord Baltimore's charter, "situate near the 
mouth of said river," is on the bay shore, and south of 
the south shore of the Potomac. 



/; 



Colonel McDonald refers to " the answers given by 
Lord Baltimore, March 26th, 1678, to questions pro- 
pounded to him by the Lords' Committee, 10th April, 
1676." To the question as to boundaries. Lord Baltimore 
says: "The boundaries, latitude and longitude of this 
province are well described and set forth in a late map or 
chart of this province, lately made and prepared by one 
Augustine Herman, an inhabitant of said province, and 
printed and publicly sold in London by his Majesty's 
license," (fee. Colonel McDonald could not find "Her- 
man's " map, but says : "In Ogilby's America, published 
in London in 1671, I found a map of Maryland, which 
upon its face is said to be the achievement of the Right 
Honorable C. Calvert, Baron of Baltimore, (fee, having 
upon it also the Baltimore coat of arms. This is the only 
map in the book which was not taken' by Ogilby from 



14 

' Montaner's History,' a German work from wliicli Ogilby 
copied, and this may be the map to which Lord Baltimore 
referred in his said answer. It is with very slight change 
the same as the one whicli I have above referred to as 
found in the pamphlet entitled " A Relation of Maryland." 
A fac simile of each will be found in the book of maps 
before mentioned. They both dot Lord Baltimore's south- 
western boundary on the south bank of the Potomac 
River," &q,. All this ought to have convinced Colonel 
McDonald that the claim of Maryland to the southern 
shore of the Potomac was not based merely on a mis- 
translation of the charter, but was in accordance with the 
true intent and meaning of the grant, especially as all 
the research of Colonel McDonald did not enable him to 
find any map dated before 1750, in which it is claimed 
that the Virginia line extended to the northern bank of 
the Potomac. He found several of subsequent date, on 
which he states the " boundary line along the Potomac, 
separating Virginia from Maryland, is dotted along the 
northern shore of that river." But Virginia has so often, 
especially by the compact with Maryland of 1785, and 
ever since, recognized the southern bank as the charter 
boundary of Maryland, that it ought not now to be 
considered open to question. 

An important inquiry, throwing light upon the construc- 
tion of the Maryland charter, is, " Wlience did Lord Bal- 
timore derive the description of the territory granted?" 
In the case of the Penns versus Lord Baltimore, the 
bill in Chancery filed by the Penns in 1735, for specific 
performance, alleges that "the tracts of land granted to 
Lord Baltimore, and described in his charter, were so 
described and bounded 'by the half of Captain Smith's 
history and map of what was then called Virginia, and 



15 

no other, and so all skillful persons do own, acknowledge, 
and believe, which manifestly appears, for that the said 
map has all and every of the names of the several places 
which are contained and mentioned in the said letters 
patent, and no other map or maps whatsoever, which was 
extant in the year 1632, and at the time of granting the 
said letters patent, (save only the said Smith's map of 
Virginia,) hath or have the names and descriptions of the 
several places mentioned in the said letters patent." 
There is no evidence that Lord Baltimore had ever 
explored the Chesapeake Bay, so as to have personally 
examined " Watkin's Point," and " Cinquack," or that 
he had any knowledge whatever of those points, except 
from Smith's History and Map. And although Smith's 
map is said to be " wonderfully correct, considering the 
time and circumstances under which it was made," yet it 
is certain, by subsequent surveys, that it contained 
material errors. It located Watkins' Point on the 38th 
parallel of latitude, at the mouth of the river "Wighco, 
afterward ascertained to be the Pocomoke, having mis- 
taken it for the Wiglico, or Wighco'moco, (now known as 
the Wicomico,) of which Smith had doubtless heard from 
the natives. Taking Smith's map for his guide, what 
could have been more natural than that Lord Baltimore, 
looking for a beginning boundary north of the Virginia 
settlements, of which doubtles she had information, should 
select the point laid down on that map as Watkins' Point, 
and run from its southern terminus to the ocean on the 
east, and then, after having filled out his description upon 
the east, north and west as far as the undiscovered western 
bounds could be conjectured, thence with the southwestern 
bank of the Potomac to the mouth thereof, to the place 



16 

called Cinquack, located on Smitli's map as a small 
house ; thence by the shortest line to Watkins' Point, the 
place of beginning. And, hence, we find this to be the 
identical description adopted in his charter. 

It is certainly of the first importance that the long 
controversy over this southern boundary line of Maryland 
should be ended, and that a clearly defined line across the 
bay to the ocean should be agreed upon and established 
by the two States. The legislation of the two States 
upon the subject of taking oysters renders it indispensable. 
The difhculties in the way of ascertaining the precise 
locality of the two points called for in the charter of 
Maryland, viz, Watkins' Point and Cinquack, may be 
seen from the brief historical view we have presented. 
Nor are they less in ascertaining the place of beginning 
of the Calvert and Scarborough line, and where they 
agreed, or intended to agree, the line should run from the 
place of beginning till it struck the east shore of the 
Pocomoke river. Having agreed upon "the extremest 
part of the westernmost angle of said Watkins' Point," 
it would have ]}een easy and natural to have said "from 
which said point we have run an east line across Somerset 
county, and over the Pocomoke River," &c. But, instead 
of this plain and natural language, if such had been the 
agreement, we have have an agreement that a body of 
land, many miles in extent from east to west and from 
north to south, is A¥atkins' Point, from which Point, so- 
called, we have run an east line, agreeable with the 
extremest part of the westernmost angle of the said 
Watkins' Point, over the Pocomoke Hiver," (fee. Did 
they mean from the point of beginning down Tangier 
Sound to the Pocomoke Bay or river and up, by and with 



17 

said Pocomoke Bay or river to a point on the east shore 
of that river, "agreeable with," or corresponding to, an 
east line, if drawn from the point of beginning across 
Somerset county. This has been the practical interpreta- 
tion of the compact acted upon by both Virginia and 
Maryland from 1668 to the present. And again, where 
was the location of that westernmost angle of Watkins' 
Point in 1668? Lieutenant Michler, in his report, 1859, 
says : " Although the angle of this point of land (Jane's 
Island) where the line now strikes the Sound, is, even at 
this day, the most western one, still, many years ago, the 
land made out into the Sound a much greater distance. 
Jane's Island is said by Captain John Nelson, aged 
seventy-two years, to have extended, within his recollec- 
tion, to the present position of the Light-ship, now 
anchored about a mile and a half out from the present 
shore line. Stumps of trees are said to exist in the 
marshes and in the water between the main land and 
Watts' Island, showing that it probably was once one 
continuous neck of land as far south as that island." 

A Mrs. Thomas, who lived on Jane's Island, and died 
there a few years ago, at about ninety-six years of age, 
was often heard to say that she well remembered when a 
peach orchard stood about where the Light-ship was 
anchored. According to these witnesses, the island has 
washed away a mile and a half within a hundred years, 
say since 1768. How much did it wash away in the 
preceding hundred years, from 1668, and how much in 
the thirty-six years from the date of the charter preceding 
1668? And then, if the point of beginning in 1632, or 
1668, was ascertained, it is now shown and admitted, that 
the line of 1668, expressly called an " east line " to the 
3 



18 

oeean, is five degrees and fifteen minutes to the north of 
east, owing, as suggested by Lieutenant Michler, to the 
variation of the needle at that time, as "in all probability 
it was run with a compass, without allowing for any 
variation of the needle." This mistake was not dis- 
covered until 1859. Of course, if the line is to be re- 
adjusted, the mistake ought to be considered. 

We have said that the line proposed by the undersigned 
is both reasonable and equitable. The mistake in running 
the line, as before stated, gave Virginia about twenty- 
three square miles of Maryland territory in the northern 
part of Accomac county ; while if the line were prolonged 
over Somerset county, not more than eight square miles of 
high land would fall south of the said line. So that, if 
Virginia should agree to the line proposed by the Mary- 
land Commissioners, the land covered by the waters of 
Pocomoke Bay to its channel, if added to the land lying 
south of the prolonged line in Somerset county, would 
still leave Virginia much the gainer by the mistake in 
running the line, to say nothing of the mistake in the 
place of beginning. The fish and oysters in the waters 
adjacent to that part of Somerset county have, ever since 
the first settlement of the county, been the principal 
source of support for the settlers and their families, while 
they are many miles remote from any portion of the 
people of Virginia. Besides, the State of Maryland, her 
citizens and others, are deeply interested as stockholders 
in the Eastern Shore Kail Road Company, which has 
expended nearly a million of dollars in the construction of 
a link in a great chain of railway internal improvements, 
by means of a line of magnificent steamers from Crisfield 
to Norfolk, forming the most direct, and one of the most 
important thoroughfares of freight and travel from Maine 
to Texas. Virginia is also deeply interested in the success 



19 

.of this line of communication. The prolongation of the 
(Calvert and Scarborough line to Tangier Sound, as has 
ibeen ascertained by Mr. de la Camp, would leave the rail 
road and depot in Maryland, but would cross the southeast 
angle of the wharf or pier a few feet, leaving the harbor 
;and the waters of Little Annamessix River on the Vir- 
■ginia side of the line. The channel of that river, though 
>deep, is narrow and tortuous, and to afford free and 
unobstructed access to the port of Crisfield at all times, 
■especially to the regular line of steamers, and to protect 
,the harbor and channel for navigation, it is absolutely 
necessary that an efficient police, armed with proper 
authority, be present, and always ready for the prompt 
^discharge of their duty. It will at once be seen that the 
^exercise of two jurisdictions over a harbor divided by a 
water line would be impracticable. It is manifestly for 
the interests of both Virginia and Maryland, and of all 
interested, that these waters should remain hereafter as 
they have always been heretofore since the first settlement 
of those States under the jurisdiction of Maryland. 

' The Chairman has again to acknowledge his obligations 
to the President of the Maryland Historical Society for 
the knowledge of a most rare and important map belong- 
ing to the collection of that Society. It is described as 
follows: "Map of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, 
East and West New Jersey, by John Thornton, at the 
Piatt in the Minories, and by Will Fisher, at ye Postern 
Gate, on Tower Hill, London," Date of this map sup- 
posed to be about 1700. The southern boundary, be- 
ginning at Smith's Point, crosses the bay in a due east 
line, and crosses the peninsula to the ocean through a 
double line of boundary trees, (drawn on the map). The 
line on this map leaves Smith's Island entirely in Mary- 



20 

land. With reference to the objection of the Virginia 
Commissioners to the Maryland proposition, that a part 
of vSmith's Island has always been included in Virginia, 
it is true that Shanks' Hammock, containing some four or 
five families and a few acres of high land, has always 
been under the jurisdiction of Virginia. But where the 
divisional line was ever run, or whether any such line 
across Smith's Island ever was run under the joint 
authority of the two States, there is no record or tradition. 
There is a tradition that a divisional line from Smith's 
Point passed across the lower part of Smith's Island below 
Horse Hammock, which has for many years been under 
the jurisdiction of Maryland, although the present pro- 
prietor stated to the Commissioners that a former occupant 
many years ago paid taxes and took out a store license in 
Virginia. There is no certain tradition, so far as the 
Commissioners could ascertain, to fix the location of any 
divisional line between Maryland and Virginia across 
Smith's Island. And while the line proposed by the 
Maryland Commissioners would place the few families at 
Shanks' Hammock under Maryland jurisdiction, it is not 
much more than the change wrought by the retracing of 
the traditional Calvert and Scarborough line between the 
Pocomoke River and the ocean. In retracing that line by 
Mr. de la Camp, it was found that the relations of four 
houses were changed, two families, one store, and a mill. 

It does not appear to the Commissioners that there can 
be any insuperable difficulty in arriving at an amicable 
adjustment or compromise of 'the divisional line in 
question, if the conflicting legislation of the two States 
was removed. And with a view to this result, the Com- 
missioners recommend the repeal of the Act of the 



21 

General Assembly of Maryland of 1860, chapter 385. It 
has been productive only of error and confusion. The 
map prepared under the direction of Colonel Lee, at the 
instance of Governor Hicks, in supposed accordance with 
the Act of 1860, and published with a brief explanation by 
Col. Lee, in Sept., 1860, addressed to the late Gov. Hicks, 
and entitled "Southern Boundary of Maryland between 
Smith's Point and the Atlantic," is well calculated to 
mislead. Although purporting to be in conformity with 
the provisions of the Act of the General Assembly of 
Maryland, January session, 1860, chapter 385, it does 
not run the line from Smith's Point " to the southernmost 
angle of the body of land defined by the aforesaid Com- 
missioners as Watkins' Point." This map, which con- 
tained only a proposed southern boundary, probably 
misled Mr. Martinet in his description of that boundary 
in his atlas, published under the patronage of the Legisla- 
ture in 1866. So far, at least, as he refers to the north 
shore of the Pocomoke Sound and river as a part of that 
boundary. Mr. Martinet's description of the boundaries 
of Maryland, in his atlas, is singularly full of errors. He 
states that the famous Mason & Dixon's line begins at 
Cape Henlopen, whereas Mason & Dixon's line begins at 
a point midway between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesa- 
peake Bay, which point had been ascertained by the 
predecessors of Mason & Dixon, and from which they 
began their survey. Again, he states the southern line 
to run from Smith's Point easterly to the most western 
point of Watkins' Point on the eastern shore of the 
Chesapeake Bay, although the Act of 1860 had declared 
it to run to the southernmost angle of Watkins' Point. 
He then adds: " From this point, (viz, the most western 



22 

point of Watkins' Point,) the line should run due east to 
the ocean, but has lately been settled as binding on the 
north shore of Pocomoke Sound and river," &g. We have 
not been able to find any authority for this statement. 
The State of Maryland has certainly, so far as we have 
been able to learn, never assented to such line. Again, 
Mr. Martinet, referring to the traditional line from the 
Pocomoke Kiver to the Atlantic, says: "This due east 
course bears in reality nearly four degrees north of east;" 
whereas Lieutenant Michler, who actually run the line in 
1858 for the first time since the original running in 1668, 
expressly states the "direction of this line was five 
degrees fifteen minutes north of east at the time of the 
recent survey in November, 1858." These mistakes are 
so material as to require correction at the earliest prac- 
ticable moment. 

If upon the repeal of this Act of 1860, Virginia shall 
repeal her resolutions which are supposed to restrict her 
Commissioners, so that the Commissioners of the two 
States may be relieved of this embarrassment and left free 
to agree upon a divisional line, subject to the ratification 
or rejection by their respective Legislatures, it is believed 
that an amicable adjustment ma}^ be made. If this 
reasonable expectation should be disappointed, and no 
agreement or compromise can be arrived at, there will 
then remain only the remedy by a bill in the Supreme 
Court of the United States, to obtain the decision of that 
tribunal upon the matters in controversy. Maryland can 
certainly lose nothing by an appeal to that tribun^al. She 
would be remitted to her original chartered rights as to 
this line ; and if she should be held to the agreement of 
1668 as to the Calvert and Scarborough line, she will be 
entitled to have that line run due east, as that agreement 
calls for. It has been but a few years since the mistake 



23 

in the original running of the line, five degrees north of 
east, was discovered. The legal principles involved were 
fully settled by the Supreme Court in the case of the State 
of Rhode Island against the State of Massachusetts, re- 
ported in 12th Peters. 

Your Commissioners recommend that the Legislature 
make provision to continue the negotiation with Commis- 
sioners on the part of Virginia for the adjustment of this 
southern boundary. They also recommend that provision 
be made for the payment of Maryland's proportion of the 
expenses incurred in the execution of the duty entrusted 
to the undersigned, an account of which is herewith sub- 
mitted. They herewith submit the report of Mr. John de 
la Camp, civil engineer, with the accompanying maps, 
showing the result of his surveys and work. It is due to 
Mr. de la Camp to state that, in our judgment, his work 
was most faithfully and accurately performed, and his 
maps, on inspection, will be found to have been most 
beautifully executed. 

All which is most respectfully submitted. 

ISAAC D. JONES, Chairman. 
LEVIN L. WATERS, 
WILLIAM J. AYDELOTT, 
Commissioners on hehalf of Maryland, 



24 



An Account of 3Iaryland' s share of the Ex2^ens€S attending 
the execution of the Joint Commission for adjusting the 
Southern Divisional Boundary bettveen Maryland and 
Virginia. 



To William J. Aydelott, one of the Commissioners — 

For expenses incurred in the employment of Assistants, &c., in 
making the survey from the Pocomoke River to the Atlantic 
Ocean 



To William J. Aydelott, one of the Commissioners- 
For his per diem and expenses 



To Levin L. Waters, Commissioner- 
For his per diem and expenses , 



To Isaac D. Jones, Commissioner — 

For his per diem and expenses, and for the preparation of this 
report 



To John de la Camp, Engineer — 
For one-half of his bill, as per account. 

To William H. Roach— 
For two days' hire of sloop and hands.. 



$151 09 



125 00 



125 00 



300 00 



347 87^ 



30 00 



25 



ACCOUNT OF EXPENSES 

hicurred hi Marking the Boundary Line between Maryland 
and Virginia, on the Eastern Shore. 



1867. 
Oct. 30... 
31... 

Nov. 7 — 8 

9—15 
20... 
21... 



Dec. 2. 



v... 

21... 
21... 



1868. 
Jan. 25... 
Feb. 11... 

15... 
17... 



Three yards tracing linen, at $1 per yard 

Traveling expenses to Annapolis to trace boundary maps for 
survey and back '• 

Traveling expenses to Horntown, via Baltimore and Pittsburg 
wharf, including transportation of instruments, &c 

Material for flags 

Board bill at Horntown 

Traveling expenses to Baltimore, via Newtown, Princess Anne 
and Wilmington 

Traveling expenses from Baltimore to Annapolis, for taking 
tracings of Western part of line, and from there to AVash- 
ington, including board and transportation of instruments. 

Traveling expenses to Crisfieldj by steamer 

Board at Crisfield 

Traveling expenses to Pocomoke River, to fix place for monu- 
ment on the bank of river 

Board at Mrs. Taylor's 

Traveling expenses to Washington 

Seven yards machine drawing paper, at 50c. per yard 

Twelve jards bleached muslin, at 25c. per yard 

For backing 75 square feet of paper on muslin, at 20c 

For making two written copies of Thos. J. Lee's Report, 
dated Dec. 8, 1859, 29 pages, at 25c 



Three yards tracing linen, at $1 per yard 

Traveling expenses to Annapolis to meet Hon. 1. D. Jones 

as desired in his letter of February 8, and back 

Three yards tracing linen, at ^1 per yard 

For making two written copies of my Report to the present 

Commission, 24 pages, ;it 25c 

Packing and express charges in sending the maps 



Total of expenses. 



26 



ACCOUNT OF COMPENSATION 

For Marking the Boundary Line heiiveen Maryland and 
Virginia, on the Eastern Shore. 



1867. 
Oct. 31.. 



Nov 7 to 
Dec. 2 to 
Feb. 11... 



22 



One day spent in Annapolis in tracing boundary maps for 
survey 



Field Work. 

Spent on the line between Pocoraoke River and the Atlantic 
Ocean, being 16 days, at $8 

Spent at Crisfield, Jane's Island, Horse's Hammock, and 
Pocomoke River, being 7 days, at $8 

One day spent at Annapolis to meet Hon. I. D. Jones, as 
desired in his letter of February 8 



Office Work. 

Plotting of the new surveys, including Crisfield, southern 
part of Jane's Island, with the new Light-houses, 
Horse's Hammock, Greenbacksville, on Chincoteague 
Bay, and many alterations and additions along the line 

Map a, two Duplicate Maps on Backed Paper, and two 
Duplicate Tracings. 

Transferring and inking line work .|;45 00 

Topography, 2,080 square inches, at 4c 83 20 

Lettering on paper maps 300 names, averaging 20 
single current letters, 6,000 letters, at 50c per 

100 30 00 

Lettering on tracings, 6,000 letters, at 50c. per 100. 15 00 

Titles, scales, frames, &c., on paper maps 12 00 

Titles, scales, frames, &c., on tracings 8 00 



$8 00 

128 00 

56 00 

8 00 

50 00 



Map B, two Duplicate Maps on Backed Paper. 

Transferring and inking line work $8 00 

Topograpliy, 382 square inches, at 4c 15 28 

Lettering 16 00 

Titles, scales, frames, &c 10 00 



Map C, two Duplicate Maps on Backed Paper. 

Transferring and inking line work $16 00 

Topography, 368 square inches, at 4c 14 72 

Lettering 250 names, averaging 16 single current 

letters, 4,000 letters at 50c. per 100 20 00 

Titles, scales, frames, &c 10 00 



Map D, two Duplicate Maps on Backed Paper. 

Transferring and inking line work $i 00 

Topography, 28 square inches, at 4c l ]2 

Lettering 1 63 

Titles, &c 4 00 



~^ 93 20 



4D 28 



CO 1'. 



Total amount for compensation. 
E.xpenses 



Total amount 

Maryland's share of Mr. De la Camp's bill. 



$561 95 
133 80 

$695 75 
$347 87^ 



To THE HONOKABLE, 

The Joint Commission for Marking the Boundary Lme 
between Maryland and Virginia. 

Gentlemen : — In accordance with your instructions, I 
beg leave to submit the following report of my proceedings 
in marking the part of the boundary line between Mary- 
land and Virginia, on the eastern shore. 

The country adjacent to the line had been surveyed 
under instructions of the Joint Commission appointed 
under Acts passed by the Maryland Legislature in 1852, 
and by the Virginia Legislature in 1858, by Lieutenant N. 
Michler, United States Topographical Engineers, assisted 
by myself. 

This officer, by the determination of a great many 
traditional line marks, found the general direction of the 
line to be five degrees fifteen minutes north of east, true 
bearing, from which these traditional points, marked and 
re-marked from ao;e to age, differed more or less on either 
side. 

In 1867 the Legislatures of the two States appointed 
the present Commission to adjust and mark the dividing 
line of the two States across the Chesapeake to the Atlan- 
tic. The Honorable Isaac D. Jones having been elected 
Chairman of this Commission, on the 10th September, 
1867, addressed a letter to me, offering me the place as 
Engineer to the Commission, which I in two letters of the 
13th and 27th September thankfully accepted, and in 
accordance with instructions received in two further letters 
of Mr. I. D. Jones, dated October 15th and October 18th, 
reported myself at Horntown, Virginia, on the 8th 



28 

November, to commence the work. Here I found a sub- 
committee, consisting of Messrs. Aydelott, (of Maryland,) 
Fields and Kellum, (of Virginia.) appointed to accompany 
me in my proceedings. 

The line I beg leave to separate into three distinct 
parts : 

I. The part between the Pocomoke River and the 
Chincoteague Bay. 

II. The part between the Chincoteague Bay and the 
Atlantic Ocean ; and 

III. The part west of the Pocomoke River. 

I. The point between the Pocomoke River and the 
Chincoteague Bay was the most distinctly defined, but 
required the greatest share of elaborate activity of the 
surveyor. 

Before entering on my duties in the field I had been 
enabled, by the courtesy of his Excellency Governor 
Swann, to execute an accurate tracing of the immediate 
neighborhood of the line throughout its entire length from 
the Boundary Maps, executed in 1858 and 1859, under 
direction of Lieutenant Michler, by myself, which are 
filed in the Executive Department at Annapolis. 

This facilitated the field work very much, as the run- 
ning of the determined azimuth line by a first-rate 
Theodolite, which I had been able to obtain for that 
purpose by the kindness of General N. Michler, United 
States army, proved to be very troublesome, time-wasting 
and expensive. I therefore, feeling entirely satisfied about 
the accuracy of the survey of 1858, the records of which 
I had in my hands in true copy, suggested to the sub- 



29 

committee another mode of marking the line, equally 
accurate and much speedier and cheaper. This was to 
measure on my accurate copy of the Boundary Maps the 
distance of the line from the various traditional marks 
and other points, surveyed and mapped with the utmost 
care, and measure the same distances on the ground by an 
improved steel tape. 

This suggestion being agreed to by the sub-committee, 
the described mode of marking the line was carried out 
throughout the entire length of this part, and the follow- 
ing places proposed hereafter to be marked permanently 
by stone monuments or by cedar posts : 

1 . Stone monument on east bank of Pocomoke River. 

2. Stone monument at Wagram, between the mill pond 
and the line leading to John Brittingham's, 350 feet east of 
Levy Tull's, Jr., store. 

3. Stone monument on the county road from Horntown 
to Newtown, east side, at the intersection of John Brit- 
tingham's lane. 

4. Stone monument on Tull's mill road, east side, 120 
feet south of Samuel Davis' gate. 

5. Cedar post on the State road from Newtown, north 
side, in front of Samuel Brimer's gate. 

6. Stone monument on the State road from Newtown, 
west side, at the western extremity of James Aydelott's 
field. 

7. Cedar post on the county road from John Silver- 
thorn's to Svvansecute Church, west side, 150 feet south- 
east of the junction of the Newtown State road. 

8. Stone monument on the county road from Horntown 



30 

to Snow Hill, west side, 120 foet south of the junction of 
the road leading to John Silverthorn's gate. 

9. Cedar post on the road leading from the State road 
from Horntown to Snow Hill to Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor's 
clearing, west side. 

10. Stone monument on the State road from Horntown 
to Snow Hill, east side, 40 feet northeast of the edge of 
woods in Holland's clearing. 

11. Cedar post on road from William Chapman's gate 
to Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor's farm, west side. 

12. Cedar post on road from State road to Mrs. Eliza- 
beth Taylor's farm, west side, 140 feet northwest of her 
clearing. 

13. Stone monument on the last dry land before enter- 
ing the marsh on Chincoteague Bay, in line with Richard 
Collins' and Ephraim Shaw's houses, 750 feet northwest 
from the latter. 

Besides these permanent marks, the line will be defined 
by a great many trees that were marked as standing either 
directly on the line or very near it, whilst the sub- 
committee was progressing. 

At the western terminus of this Azimuth line on the 
Pocomoke River, I had to resort to a surveyor's compass, 
furnished me by the kindness of General J. C. Woodruff, 
in charge of the United States Topographical Bureau. At 
this place only one fixed point of the survey of 1858 
could be used, the whole locality having been changed 
since by the establishment of new farm houses, one of 
which is just intersected by the line, leaving the greater 
part of it in Maryland, and throwing the balance into 
Virginia. 



31 

As I could not ascertain the direction of the line on the 
ground by one fixed point, I had to resort to the magnetic 
needle, taking the present variation into consideration. 

The map of this part of the line you will find accom- 
panying this report under the letter A. 

It contains the immediate neighborhood of the line, as 
it was surveyed and mapped in 1858-9, with the altera- 
tions in and additions to the improvements of the ground 
as they were found in 1867. These have been actually 
surveyed. In the details shown on the map are included 
the different old traditional line marks, with the exception 
of the following, which had disappeared or changed their 
conditions since the survey of 1858. 

1. Old stump in fence in James Baily's field, (Benj. 
Tull, owner,) disappeared. 

2. Gum in fence on Mrs. Harriet Tull's land broken 
down ; stump fast decaying. 

3. Large pine in front of James Payne's house cut 
down ; stump sound. 

4. Dead cherry tree, near county road to Snow Hill, 
fallen ; stump decayed. 

5. Oak at edge of Ironi Holland's clearing, fallen ; 
stump decayed. 

The line proposed to be adopted is represented on the 
map by a sharp red line ; the places at which the erection 
of stone monuments is recommended, are designated by 
red diamonds, and the places where strong cedar posts 
were put, by red circles. 

II. The part of the line between the Chincoteague Bay 



32 

and the Atlantic Ocean involved the prolongation of that 
part of the line on the main land visible from the shore 
across the Chincoteague Bay to the islands bordering on 
the Atlantic Ocean, and here a little difficulty arose. 
Although this prolongation was executed with as much 
care as circumstances admitted, the line touched those 
islands at points north of the traditionary line, which 
divides two large tracts of land, the deeds of which were 
recorded in the land offices of the two respective States, 
calling for this line as the State line. 

This traditionary line is marked by strong posts, and 
at the west shore of Pope's Ba}^ even by a stone monu- 
ment. 

From this monument the prolonged line was found to 
be ],277 feet to the north. 

Having been furnished, by the kindness of J. E. 
Hilgard, Esq., First Assistant United States Coast Survey, 
with a tracing of the coast survey chart, entitled "Shores 
of Chincoteague Bay," I availed myself of the oppor- 
tunity of investigating the direction of the eastern end of 
the prolonged line, and found its azimuth to be 6° 30', 
instead of 5° 15' N. of E., which shows that, notwith- 
standing the considerable care which was used in pro- 
longing the line, the original azimuth had not been 
retained. I confess I did not expect a very accurate 
result from the mode in which the prolongation was done, 
which was to put a flag-staff and flag in the Bay, about 
every three-fourths of a mile, as near as possible in the 
required range, for as on most of the stations it was 
impossible to see more than two flags, and as the strong 
winds made the establishment of the flags very difficult, 
I should not be surprised if the line across the Bay was 
slightlv bent to the north. 



33 

To run this line across the Bay, (a distance of nearly 
six miles,) accurately, a perfectly calm day should be 
selected, for which the season was too far advanced, and 
the number and size of the flags be greatly increased, and 
the stations shortened. 

The line would have been re-run, however, had not the 
sub-committee agreed upon recommending the traditionary 
line, acknowledged by the land offices of both States as 
the boundary line, no matter whether its direction differed 
from that of the line on the main land or not. 

The direction of this line proved to be 4° 00' N. of E., 
and would intersect the true prolongation of the line on 
the main land in the Bay at some place nearly opposite 
Hardy's Hole Island ; therefore, the sub-committee agreed 
to amend their original agreement so as to recommend the 
establishment of the boundary by drawing a line through 
a point about the centre of the length of the traditionary 
line, between the two extreme shores, to the point where 
the main line reaches the west shore of Chincoteague 
Bay, by which the true bearing of the line would become 
4° 45' N. of E. This centre point is so near the place on 
the west shore of Pope's Bay, where the stone monument 
of the traditionary line is standing, that the latter was at 
once adopted as a point of the new line. 

Thus the recommended line runs from the monument at 
the east bank of Pocomoke River in the direction of E. 
5° 15' N. to the west shore of Chincoteague Bay, and from 
there in the direction of E. 4° 5' N. to the Atlantic 
Ocean, passing through the place on the west shore of 
Pope's Bay, marked by the old stone monument. The 
deviation of this 4° 45' azimuth line from the old tradi- 
tionary line on Toby's Island, the easternmost of the 
islands between Chincoteague Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, 

5 



34 



crossed by the line, amounts to 73 feet to the south, and 
on the intermediate points proportionally less. 

The deviation of the new line from the old line east of 
the old stone monument is of course equally great to the 
north, and the turning point of the line being so near the 
centre, the exact amount of land taken from Virginia 
west of the monument by this change is added to it east 
of the latter. 

The map of this part of the line is accompanying this 
report "Under the letter B. 

It contains a part of the islands between the Chinco- 
teague Bay and the Atlantic Ocean for some distance 
north and south of the line, taken from the United States 
Coast Survey Chart, with additions from actual surv^ej. 
The line proposed to be adopted is designated by a sharp 
red line, and the old traditional line by a broken black line. 

III. The part of the line west of the Pocomoke River. 

I have but little to say upon this part of the Hue, as a 
final action of the Joint Commission could not be arrived 
at on account of difierence in the views entertained by the 
members of the two States. The members from Virginia 
abiding by the wording of the old charter of Maryland, 
which calls for Watkins' Point, participated in the opinion 
expressed by Thomas J. Lee, Esq., Commissioner under 
the Act of the Maryland Legislature, passed 1852, in his 
two Reports to his Excellency, Governor Hicks, printed in 
1860 and 1861, as to the former locality of this point, 
very probably washed away by the waters of Tangier 
Sound, in which he proves to considerable satisfaction that 
this point must have been about one mile off the south- 
western extremity of Jane's Island, in the westward pro- 
longation of the azimuth line, mark^ed by Philip Calvert 



35 

and Edmund Scarborough in 1668, east of the Pocomoke 
River, and determined by the survey executed in 1858 
under the direction of Lieutenant N. Michler, United 
States Topographical Engineers. 

The line of the Virginia members of the Joint Com- 
mission claimed, runs from this point, in a straight line, to 
Smith's Point, at the mouth of the Potomac River, cross- 
ing the Smith's Islands about Horse Hammock, whereas 
the Maryland members of the Commission very naturally 
claimed the line established by the Maryland Legislature 
in 1860, which runs from the extreme westwardly situated 
point of the island lying immediately north of the Cedar 
Straits, in a straight line across the Bay to Smith's Point, 
without touching Smith's Islands, leaving the western 
shore of the Little Annamessex Neck, and also the 
terminus of the Delaware & Eastern Shore Rail Road, at 
Crisfield, immediately north of the Somer's Cove, in 
Maryland. 

During the earnest efforts of the members of the Joint 
Commission to come to some agreement, I made the 
necessary surveys to enable me, together with the use of 
the boundary maps made in 1858-9, under the direction 
of Lieutenant N. Michler, United States Topographical 
Engineers, to make a map of Crisfield Depot, Somer's 
Cove, and southern part of Jane's Island, including the 
two new Light-houses at the mouth of Little Annamessex 
River, all of which I found very much changed since 
1858. This map is annexed under the letter C. It 
shows the prolongation of the old Calvert & Scarborough 
line designated by a broken red line, which leaves all of 
the railroad terminus north of it, with the exception of a 
very small corner of the railroad pier and depot at the 
southern extremity. 



36 

Further, I made a survey of the Horse Hammock, on 
Smith's Island, a map of which is annexed under the 
letter D. 

All the maps are drawn in the scale of 1 to 5,000, or 
12i inches to the mile. 

Enclosed I beg leave to present an account of my ex- 
penses incurred in acting as Engineer to the Joint Com- 
mission, and of my compensation for field work and 
mapping, the appropriation of one-half of which as the 
Maryland share by the present Legislature I beg you to 
recommend. I close my remarks with the assertion that 
the maps are made as economically as possible, without, 
however, losing the two qualities indispensable in a map, 
which are accuracy and plainness. 

I am, Gentlemen, very respectfully, 

Your obedient servant, 

JOHN DE LA CAMP, 
Engineer to Joint Maryland and Virginia 
Boundary Commission. 



